January

Game of the month: Go Fish!

Families:

A while ago, I sent home a letter letting you know that I would be asking you to play certain games each month with your child, as a family. I would like to request that your family play Go Fish this month, at least once a week. Our class game day will be Wednesday, January28, 1:30-2:00, where we will break into groups, and each group will play Go Fish. I am looking for helpers to facilitate the groups. Please let me know if you are available, and I will get back to you. (Remember that I will do this each month, so if you can’t this month, look for more information to follow each month. Also, if I have more helpers than I need, I will rotate each month so everyone who wants to help gets a turn.)

Family name ______

Use this chart to keep track of how many games you play:

Date you played / How many games you played on this day
Ex: Th. Jan 7 / 3 games

Other board/family games your family played this month:

Please return this chart on Wednesday, January 28.

(Continued on other side)

Special notes about Go Fish:

  • You can use a regular deck of cards, a special deck named Go Fish, or you may make your own! (We will use regular decks.)
  • Please let me know if you would like to borrow a deck of cards.
  • You may want your child to use a card holder to help. (Put 2 tops of cottage cheese, butter, sour cream, etc. together, with the tops touching, and use a paper fastener to connect them. The cards will fit in between the tops. Let me know if you need paper fasteners. I have shown the class how to do this, so you can ask them to show you.)
  • Or you can use a shoe box. (Fit the top on the bottom of the box. Have your child place their cards along the side of the box, in between the lip of the top, and the box. Again, ask your child to show you this.)
  • Because there are many different ways to play this game, these are the rules we will play with:

Go Fish is best for 3-6 players, but it is possible for 2 to play. A standard 52 card deck is used. The dealer deals 5 cards to each player (7 each for 2 players). The remaining cards are placed face down in a messy pile. If you have any matches already, you must put them together, in front of you. The player to dealer's left starts. You must ask for a card you already have. For example, you say: 'Tom, do you have a seven?’ If Tom has one he gives it and you get another turn. If he doesn't, he says 'Go Fish!' and you draw from the messy pile. In the unlikely event that you pick a seven you get another turn; if you draw anything else it is the person’s turn to the left.

If the pile runs out, you carry on playing until all the cards have been made into pairs. Obviously after the pile has run out there is no 'Go Fish!'. If the person you asked doesn't have the card asked for, the turn passes to the left.

When a player runs out of cards, the play does not end, but the player draws a new hand of 5 cards from the pile (or the whole pile if fewer than 5 cards remain there).

Who ever has the most matches/pairs of cards, wins the game.

I hope you and your family have fun! As always, please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or comments.

Stacy DeFabio